Spring terminal fitting



Nov. 3, 1953 R. J. CARBARY SPRING TERMINAL FITTING Filed Nov. 24, .1950

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\nven'tor: Richard J. Cahbar g,

His Attofn Nov. 3, 1953 R. CARBARY SPRING TERMINAL FITTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Npv. 24, 1950 m l 7!!! l J Inventor: Richard. J. CaPbarg,

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Patented Nov. 3, 1953 SPRING TERMINAL FITTING Richard J. .Carba'ry, Erie, Pa., assignor. to General ElectricCompany, a. corporation of New York Application November 24, I950, Serial No. 197,355

My invention relates to spring assemblies adapted for use with evaporator doors andthe like and, more particularly, to terminalfastening devices for such assemblies employed for attaching the ends of helical springs which may have their effective length varied and adjusted.

In many applications of helical springs, it is desirable that the effective length of a spring be readily adjustable, in order that the tension for a given displacement may be varied, or in order that'corrections may be made for slight spring fatigue. In the past, adjustments were made by inconvenient, especially in cases where the spring device was intricate. Various improvements have been since made in the art for adjusting the eifective length or'tension of a helical spring without disassembly of parts by use of an element having screwable engagement with the coils of the spring. However these either require that one of the members between which the spring'is supported be rotatable, or they are of such nature as to be more expensive and difiicult to manufacture than thepresent invention. I

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a new and simplified terminal fitting for helical springs allowing more convenient adjustmentof the effective lengths of helical springs.

It is, also, an object of my invention to provide aterminal fitting for helical springs whereby the effective length of a helical spring may be Varied quickly with no disassembly of' the spring mechanism being required.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a hook, screw, or other fastener on one end of a terminal 'fitting for a helical's'pring, ancl'provi'de on" the other end a lug flaringin width toward its end.

'A helical spring isp'o'sitioned with one "end portion disposed "drithe lug andmade correspondingly tapered in'innefdiameter toward this end.

One end of the spring is thus fastened to its support through the terminal fitting by the fastener in a manner that secures the spring against axial pull but, however, leaves it free to be rotated. The other end of the spring is fastened to its support through an arm having lateral projections on one end which screwably engage th convolutions of the spring. Therefore, when the spring is rotated axially it turns freely upon the aforementioned lug, and the projections move to engage different convolutions of the spring,

4 Claims. (CI. 16-72) whereby the effective length or the tension of-the spring is quickly and conveniently varied.

, For a better understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention, reference should be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of a refrigerator showin'gthe evaporator of the refrigerator; Fig. -2is a partial side elevation view,'part1y broken away, of the same refrigerator with the evaporator door in the normally closed position; Fig. 3' is the same as Fig. 2, except that the evaporator door is in its open position and only partially shown; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of the'evaporator'door spring assembly with the spring omitted for clarity. 5 v

' In Fig. l, I have shown a refrigerator having insulated walls I and a door 2, which opens about a hinge in its side edge, and containing an evaporator compartment 4 closed by a door t. A pair of spring assemblies 3, shown as a typical application of adjustable" helical springs, are fastened at opposite ends to the evaporator door 4', which pivots on a hinge 5 in its lower edge, and to the refrigerator liner 6 and serve to' aid in closing the evaporator door 4 and to bias it tightly shut.

agonally opposite projections l I which are spaced to engage'convolutions of the spring it, two hairpin-like wire elements 52 for limiting the maximum door opening, and a spring terminal fitting [3' which is'hooked into an opening'l l formed in a bracket l5 bolted to liner 6. 1

Terminal fitting l3 comprises on one end a hook It for engaging bracket 15, and on the other end of a lug ll flaring toward its free end. The section of spring it which terminates on lug i1 is correspondingly tapered toward its end so that the spring iii is-firnily fastened to terminal fitting'l iagainst axial pull, but so that swing it may be easily rotated about its axis while so engaged with lug ii. The end of spring It may be wound about lug H as a mandrel to effect this unique co-engagement, or the lug I? may be forced into the spring end after each is mad to the proper dimensions.

An opening I8 is provided in lug I? to receive the hooked end of one of the hairpin-like elements l2, and an opening I9 is similarly provided in arm I for the other element l2. These hairpin-like elements [2 are slidably linked together the door.

so that they limit the maximum elongation and prevent over-stressing of the spring It. The principle of operation of elements [2 is well known to the art and forms no part of this invention.

In operation, door 4 is manually pulled open by its handle, the opening movement being rotation about hinge 5 in thedoors'lower edge, which causes pin '8 to increase its distance from stationary bracket [5. Arm '1 rotates around pin 8 and terminal fitting l3 rotates in opening 14 so that the spring assembly 3 continuously forms a straight line connection spanning the increasing distance by increasing :the elongation and tension in spring Ill. Hairpin-Hike elements I 2 solidly contact each other and prevent overtravel from the doors wide open ,position, as shown in Fig. 3. Extended spring In automatically closes the door 4 when the manual pull is released, or it materially aids manual closing of Spring 10 may be adjusted with initial tension to bias the door 4 firmly-in its closed position.

The effective lengthof spring Ii) may bevaried,

to adjust its biasing tension or to correct for slight fatigue, by manually rotating spring 10 about-its axis in the desired direction. This may be done with no;disassembly of parts, since terminal fitting l3 allows such rotation by virtue of its tapering fit with spring Hi. The rotation causes projections Ll to .move by screw-like action to engagement with different convolutions of the spring l0, whereby the effective length of spring ['0 is either increased or decreased. It is .seen, therefore, that spring L0 is firmly fastened at its ends against axial pull but that it ma be manually rotated to adjust its effective length.

The broad idea of the engagement of spring [0 .by projections 11 to allow "thescrew-like move- -ment of projections H in the ,convolutions of the spring 10 is well known totheart ,and forms no part of this invention.

Terminal fitting I3 is -one element of -my in- 'vention which allows the .axial arotation of the spring 10 necessary to the screw-like adjustment I 'of effective length with no-disassembly of parts or use of tools. At any position in the rotation of spring I.0,'thespring .isjfirmly fastenedagainst .axial pull.

While the present invention has beendescribe by reference toa particular embodiment thereof,

it will Joe-understood that numerousmodifications .may be made by those skilled in the art Without Letters .B'atent of the United States ,is:

.1. ,A ihelical spring and adjustable amounting therefor comprising a first terminal threadably engaging one end ofsaid spring, and ,aseeond terminal engaging'the other end ,of .said spring, said other end of said spring comprising a -plu- 4 rality of turns decreasing in radius from the main body of said spring toward said other end, and said second terminal having one end for attachment to a support and its other end shaped to engage the inner sides of said turns and being freely rotatable with respect thereto whereby said spring will be retained on said second terminal when'under tension and ma be :rotated on said second terminal for purposes of adjustment.

2. A helical spring device comprising a helical spring having a first end of uniform inside diameterand a second end of inside diameter tapered toward said second end, an arm with lateral r projections on-oneend thereof for screwably engaging the convolutions of said first end, and a terminal fitting having a lug flaring in width .fitted within said second end, whereby said arm and said terminal fitting are secured to said spring against axial pull but whereby axial rotation for adjustment of the effective length of said spring is afiorded.

3. In a construction including a frame and .a door hinged thereto, a spring assembly for.closing said door, said spring assembly including an arm provided with lateral projections and with a slot for removable attachment to said door, a terminal fitting having a flared portion and a hook for engaging saidframe, and a helical spring mounted between said arm and said terminal fitting by engagement with said lateral projections and said flared portion, the portion of said spring engaging said fiared'portion being tapered toward its outer end, whereby relative rotational, but not relative axial, movement of said spring and said arm and fitting is aiforded -.to allow screw-like movement between said projections and said spring for varying the effective length of said spring.

4. In a constructionincluding a door hingedto a frame, a door closing device comprising an ,arm provided with a slot formed in one end-thereof for removable attachment to said door, a terminal fitting having one end thereof flaring in width and the other end thereof formed into a hook for engagement with said frame, and a helical spring secured between opposed ends of said arm and said-terminal fitting, the endof said arm opposite said one end having lateral projections thereon for engagement with the convolutions at one end of said spring, the other endof said spring having a tapered inner diameter to engage said one end of said terminal fitting.

RICHARDJ. CARBARY.

References Cited in the .file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,695,454 Coyne Dec. 18, 1928 1,771,299 Justus July 22 1930 1,819,187 'McF'erren Aug. 18, 1931 2,085,387 'Pletcher et al June 29, 1937 2,547,172 Reeves Apr.'3, 1951 

